Peaches

Did you know that I like peaches? I didn’t even know that. We get fruit delivered at work and I eat the apples, b-a-nan-a-s and oranges. I am not quite sure when the fruit is delivered but 2 weeks ago I got the bottom of the box. The only thing left was a peach. Rather than eat the hostess pie’s that call my name, I grabbed the peach. I figured it was free and if I hate it I could throw it away.
Lo and behold it was good. So good I told Aya to get me a peach from the market. Later that night:

Aya asked, “Do you want me to peel your peach?”
Miles - Peel my peach?!
Aya - Yes, peel the peach.
Miles – What the heck? What are you talking about?? I just eat it.
Aya – WHAT? With the skin? The skin is all fuzzy.
Miles – Yeah. So what. How else do you eat it. Watch.

So I eat a peach like an apple. Is that not how you eat a peach? It seems that I do not like the canned or sliced peaches. I like firm, yellow peaches. Who knew?!

Sweetbread

So in San Diego, Aya I went out to dinner. I ordered this pork dish with sweetbread. Aaaahhh, sweetbread. I like that. Aya happened to look at what I ordered.

Aya - You know that isn't like hawaiian sweetbread.
Miles - What? How do you know?
Aya - I watch the food channel.
Aya - Sweetbread is brains I think
Miles - Really. Eeww.

Yeah, so I order it anyway. It kinda does look like brain. I figure, I eat tongue, I eat instestine, I would probably eat brain. Umm. Wrong. That sweetbrain was nasty. You could taste the actual shape it came in. I actually ate a bigger piece than I should have. It just kinda broke off that way. Big mistake. I was gagging on the inside.

I come home to look it up. It isn't brain. Here is some information:

According to Larousse Gastronomique, sweetbread is "the culinary term for the thymus gland (in the throat) and the pancreas (near the stomach) in calves, lambs and pigs," otherwise known as the "variety meats." Veal sweetbreads are the most commonly used by chefs today. Sweetbreads come in two varieties.

The first is the thymus gland, also called the throat sweetbread or gorge in French.

The second variety is the pancreas, also referred to as the stomach sweetbread or noix in French. The stomach sweetbread is most prized because of its larger size and oval shape. It can easily be presented whole or sliced into medallions. Some claim that the throat sweetbreads have less flavor than their Because the throat sweetbreads are elongated they are usually reserved for dishes like stews and ragouts where they will be presented in small pieces.

Good news

Another baby annoucement. Neil and Teri are now expecting in January of 2006. Best of all Uncle Neil and Aunty Teri are going to take my kid on vacation with them for the next 18 years!!! Woo-hoo.

Toothbrushes

When you go to a hotel where do you put your toothbrush? Do you leave the toothbrush head dangling over the side of the sink? Do you open up a towel and put the toothbrush there? Do you use a drinking glass and stick it in there? I personally use a drinking glass to hold my toothbrush when I stay at a hotel.

On Friday, Aya and I stayed at Horton Plaza and I put my toothbrush in a cup. The next day I noticed I had two new glasses and my toothbrush was placed nicely on a hand towel. Hmm. Interesting.

Of course, I noticed all this while taking a crap. It got me thinking. What if the maid was a jerk? What if she thought I was a slob? Maybe she cleaned the toilet with my toothbrush!!! Eeeewww!! Who knows that happen because she did touch it? I wonder if maids do those type of things. You know cooks/waiters do stuff like that, but do you think maids mess with your stuff as well??

Sea World

Aya and I decided to take a trip down to San Diego for the weekend. We left LA at 3:00 to try to avoid traffic. No such luck. It took us 3 1/2 hours to get to San Diego. Ugh. We stayed in the gas lamp district and Jenny suggestion of the Westin over the W Hotel was alright. I think the W would have been a little quieter.

Saturday, Aya and I spent the whole day at San Deigo. Aya had not been there since she was a little kid. We started by feeding the dolphin, touching star fishes and sting rays. Took some pictures with the flamingos, penguins and sharks. Aya liked Shamu the best. We didn't stay around for the night shows because we had dinner reservations at Bertrands at Mister A's. Great place to eat at overlooking downtown and the harbor. Very nice...voted as one of San Diego's finest restaurants. Great place for a date.

Sunday we went to 222 Cafe. San Diego 3 year in a row best breakfast diner. It was good. Worth the 30 minute wait. Headed off to Extraordinary desserts to get my sister a cake for Eric. Aya and got some pastries for ourself. That place would make a bundle in LA.

All in all a good weekend. If we had gone to San Deigo before Aya got pregnant it might have changed our minds about being parents. I gotta say, I really enjoyed going to Sea World without kids. I was looking at other parents and I dunno how they walk around with kids. It was hard enough with Aya who had to keep taking 'pee' breaks and walking all slow. It was hard making it show to show. If we had to bob-and-weave with a stroller...forget it!! No amusement parks until the kid can walk!!

Batman Begins...

Aya and I went to see Batman Begins last weekend. I am a big batman fan so this was one of the summer movies that I was looking forward too. I was a little leary because the last batman really stunk. It stunk so bad that I thought the franchise would be runied, but Batman Begins was pretty good. A little dark, but I like it like that. I could definately see this continuing.

Outside of that, there hasn't been a lot of good summer movies. Star Wars was good, but then I am a Star Wars fan. I think that is about it for my summer movie watching.

Damn Spurs won. I was rooting for the Pistons. I hate losing bets. Grrr.

Do NOT try this at home...

So last night I was getting ready to take a shower. I had one foot in the tub and was just entering the shower. As I was stepping into the tub I reached back to close the shower door. While doing this out of nowhere I sneezed.

Okay. What is the deal. How is that worthy of a blog entry?

Well, it seems as though when I stepped forward into the tub, reached back to close the shower door and sneezed that I some how strained any muscle that I have in my chest down to my stomach. I nearly doubled over in pain. I took a quick shower and went to bed while my chest was just burning in pain.

I wake up today and I am a little sore still no big deal, right? Well, I just sneezed at work and good god, my chest nearly exploded. Damn that sneeze from last night!!

Baby update: The test results for Downs Syndrome and a few other birth defects came back negative. 2 ½ weeks until we find out the sex of the baby. So here is your chance to vote in the comments section, BOY or a GIRL. Maybe I will do something nice for the winners.

Aya – predicts boy
Miles – predicts girl

We don’t know why it is just our gut instincts. Although Aya’s co-worker says the Chinese calendar says we will be having a girl.

Will power...or lack thereof

Okay, so getting lunch brought in 3 times a week has been pretty good. The diet is straight out the window and I should have listened better when the HR rep said, “Beware of the Freshman 15 here at LMB.”

Work is going well. Very busy so having food brought in is a good thing. I suppose I could eat healthier portions of the food that is catered…more salads and less carbs.

The real test comes from the vending machine all day. All items are .35 cents. I love junk food. Two items always call out my name:

1. The Hostess apple pies
2. The Hostess mini chocolate or powered doughnuts.

I can’t tell you how bad they are for you. I think one package has the fat content for an ENTIRE day! I already broke down once and got one, but today I couldn’t take it. With meetings most of the day, I decided to use Aya’s motto, “Treat yourself don’t cheat yourself.” I am so going to be a fattie. People will think I am the one pregnant and not Aya!

Happy Fathers Day!

Also, thanks go out to my sister for giving me a pre-father's day present. It is pretty rare that I am suprised and she definately surprised me. Sure, I guessed what the present was...but it was nice gesture to get a present!

New addition to the family

Congratulations to Mike and Sheri on their new baby girl, Rylee Umakoshi!!

June 13th, 2005 at 7:24 p.m.
6 lbs 8.8 oz.
20 3/4 Inches Long

Tom's Hottie

Now I haven't always been an Angelina Jolie fan. I didn't like her all that much in Tomb Raider. She was ugly in Gone in 60 Seconds. I seen some of her other films but never thought much about her.

Aya and I went to see Mr. & Mrs. Smith and lemmie say, "Angelina Jolie is freakin hot!" Sure, Brad Pitt is easy on the eyes for the ladies, but Angelina was equally impressive. The movie itself was just so-so. I would wait for video. If I was Brad Pitt, I would dump Jennifer Anniston for Angelina Jolie.

Accents

How many of you have seen a Jet Li movie? Okay don’t picture Jet Li in any crazy fight scene or what he looks like. Instead, focus on what he sounds like. Trying to picture it? It is a little hard to picture isn’t it because he doesn’t have a lot of dialogue in his movies. There is a reason for the lack of dialogue…it is because no one can understand him.

Why is this even relevant? I now work with this dude that sounds like Jet Li. The main difference is that he talks all the friggin time. He brings up lame topics, talks about the same thing every day and he kind of talks loud too. On and on. Geez. I thought it was bad when I worked with other people with accents. It just sounded like bok-bok-bok. The problem with this Jet Li fool is that sometimes you can understand him. His voice get high sometimes too.

The biggest dilemma is should I eat lunch with him and two others consultants like I normally do, or just eat on my own like I want to do. Hmm, be social and try to fit in or be anti-social and alone?

Cars in LA

What is it about the way you dress or the car you drive? Are we so conditioned to just look for appearance rather than substance?

For example, when I drive my 1983 Celica, nobody asks me about my car. (Other than you seriously drive that piece of crap). In the Celica nobody, winks or waves at me when I am stuck in traffic.

Right after I started driving the Porsche, I had people saying nice car. I had girls waving at me in traffic. It was generally a conversation piece. The subtle differences are huge. In the Celica people don't smile when making eye contact. In the Porsche, you might get a longer glance and smile.

The thing is, does having the Porsche make me a better person? Does it mean I make more money? I mean I could be leasing the Porsche, living at home and getting by check to check. On the other hand, who is to say that I am not living in a beachside house, with multiple cars, financially stable while driving the Celica?

If I was single now, I wonder if I would pick up a girl on the first date in the Celica or the Porsche. Good thing I don't have to worry about that ever again. I was able to marry Aya while driving the Celica. Thus, further proving my greatness. Sure I could have pulled the wool over Aya with my dazzling personality but no way she was blind and didn't see the Celica.

Press PLAY button to view the video

New addition to the family...

Aiden Sukeichi Di Carlo was born. 6 lbs 11 oz. 19.5 in

Congratulations to my cousin Melissa and her husband Dino.!!!

1 Hour and 45 Minutes equals 5 miles

Oh good god!!! I left work at 4:50 to meet Brentt, Christie and Sydney (that is Sydney pictured above 2 1/2 years old) and Aya in Westwood for dinner. If i listened to AM radio or had a cell phone I might have known that there was a 'suspcious' suitcase left on Wilshire and that they closed Wilshire. Oh nooo. All you nay-sayers jinxed me with this cell phone business. 1 HOUR and 45 minutes to drive 5 miles. Needless to say I was late for dinner. God damn retards.

Baby Update:

Two for two…not it a good way. So we had our 4 month baby checkup with the OBGYN and once again we had to wait. Last time she was late in getting to the office. This time they just ran late and we waited 45 AFTER our appointment. Our appointment was only like 5 minutes. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat and get blood drawn for some tests. So far so good. Everything seems normal. We just have to wait 7 days to see if the baby has Down's. Keep your fingers crossed that everything comes back negative.

Why is it if you don't show for an appointment they bill you, but if they make you wait there is no repercussions? At least validate my parking if you make us wait. Our OBGYN actually looks like jenny except she is nice.

So fella's here is the baby appointment schedule on when you need to go:

1st visit to find out you are pregnant: Don't go. Nothing happens.
2nd visit at your 2 month check up: Go to see the ultrasound.
3rd visit at your 3 month check up: Go to see the ultrasound.
4th visit 4 month checkup: Don't go. Hear the heart beat.

Phone home...

Sure, why not have everyone jump on the band wagon. I got this in my email yesterday.

Okay, Aya, I am Christy. I used to work with Miles when he was at DirecTV. I just looked at his website. I think you should beat his Osama butt for some of the things he says about your cracker eating. (Don’t tell Miles, but my husband said the same thing about me with the Ginger snaps that DID NOT help.)

So basically Christy won’t admit that she too tortured her husband with Ginger snaps. See my website is like the lone guy on Oprah who answers a question and then gets bashed by the 299 women in the studio audience. See now you realize why men don’t go to tapings of Oprah.

Back to Miles bashing. I think he needs a cell phone. What if you have an emergency, like you need him to pick up a cantaloupe and a steak from the grocery store because you start to have cravings? He needs a cell phone. My parents are so not modern and they have cell phones. At the least, he should spring for the additional $10 it costs to add him to your plan and get the free phone. We will continue to harass him about this.

Exactly my point about NOT having a cell phone. Why would I want to stop off to grab a cantaloupe or a steak???

Number 1: groceries is not my chore.
Number 2: ever hear the Virginia slims ad? Their mantra is, “You’ve come a long way baby!” Thus, Aya can go shop for her own food cravings.

Number 3: Christy’s parents are ‘not so’ modern because they live in the sticks. North Carolina. Who do you know that lives in Carolina?? (MAK does not count for you DTV smart asses)

$10 bucks for a phone really is not a bad deal. Maybe for $10 bucks but not a penny more I might look into it. The thing is I am a pocket minimalist. Thus, I have one key, one wallet. Nothing else. Where am I going to put this phone? Do I have to leave it on? What’s the deal?? Just one more thing to take care of. Plus, if I leave the cell phone in the Celica then someone may break it to steal it…since the phone would be the only item of value in the car.

Tom's Video...

Okay, lets see how this online streaming works out.
David and Kamal, this one's for you. Hope you like Denver!

Our baby will be a Rooster

THE SIGN OF THE ROOSTER

Roosters are very loyal individuals. They do not like dishonesty or mockery of any sort. They are blunt, up front and honest people and expect those around them to be the same. Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others, at a party or just a social gathering. They even enjoy the spotlight and will exhibit their charisma and wit in a minute. This star quality can be overbearing, for a Rooster expects you to listen to him while he speaks and can become agitated if you don’t. Roosters do have a tendency to brag about themselves and their achievements and demand an attentive audience when doing so.

The Rooster is a flamboyant personality, feisty and obstinate. He is quite the extrovert who loves to strut his stuff and is proud of who he is. Outwardly confident, the Rooster is also a trustworthy, hardworking individual. He’ll tell it like it is with no qualms or reservations.

THE WOOD ROOSTER 2005

This Rooster is different in that he enjoys being a part of the team rather than in the spotlight like other Roosters. He likes the company of others and is a genuine friend. These Roosters work for the betterment of society, working diligently to change the evils of it. They expect quality attempts from others involved with the causes and sometimes expect too much of their co-volunteers, as they do of themselves. Often, because of this desire to help society, these Roosters overcommitt themselves, unable to finish what they’ve started.

HEALTH

Roosters are typically fit people. They enjoy sports and active hobbies such as hiking and swimming. They don’t get sick very often because they tend to fight illness fairly well. However, when they do get ill, they usually bounce right back. Roosters can be a little high strung, suffering from dramatic mood swings and stress.

AT HOME WITH THE ROOSTER

As proud as they are of themselves, you can only imagine how they are about their homes. Roosters put a lot of effort into their homes as they reflect the Roosters assets and taste. They are very neat and clean and have everything in its own specific place. They make a chore out of cleaning out drawers and closets with a knack for rearranging them better and better each time they attempt it. This habit is enough to drive anyone berserk, but a Rooster’s family understands his need for a dramatic appearance.

THE ROOSTER AT WORK

Roosters are more motivated than most other Animal Signs, making their careers a priority in their lives. They are hard working, flexible individuals able to stick to the given tasks. They are generally successful individuals who reach the top of their chosen professions.

MONEY AND THE ROOSTER

An eye for detail means the Rooster is pretty good at handling his finances. He is able to give others good financial advice and can help get budgets under control. However, when it comes to his own finances, the Rooster is either or. He either spends it all or hoards it for a rainy day.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

Friends of the Rooster cannot be sensitive people. As bossy, overbearing and blunt as the Rooster is, you can imagine just about anyone wouldn’t last without a sense of humor! That’s why Roosters tend to have more acquaintances than actual friends. Still, any friend of a Rooster knows how dependable and honest he is and treasures his friendship despite his arrogance.

Compatible Friends

Best Friends: Oxen and Snakes
Mortal Enemies: Rabbits (Um, Aya is a rabbit)

ROSTER INFANT AND CHILD

Children born in the Year of the Rooster are bright, intelligent children. They are creative and alert. They easily play and interact with other children and generally like to learn new things. They are eager to please parents and teachers alike. However, Rooster children do not make the best scholars and they tend toexcel in subjects where interaction and social skills are required.

ROOSTER PARENT/CHILD KINSHIPS

Some parents immediately click with their children and others find they will never have a close relationship no matterhow hard they try to make it happen.
Following are compatibility ratings between Rooster parents and their children.

Rooster with Under the same roof Compatibility Rating

Rabbit (Ayako) a bit of erratic behavior **
Dog (Miles) very loving and understanding ****

*uphill struggle **some complications ***easy bonding ****on the same wavelength

EAST MEETS WEST

SCORPIO ROOSTER

These are the most determined of the Roosters. Once they set a goal, they cannot stop until they achieve it. They are motivated, industrious individuals who work hard to satisfy their employers. They are deeply emotional people, something one wouldn’t know by seeing their surfaces.

SAGITTARIAN ROOSTER

This Rooster is relaxed, down-to-earth and likeable. He is a free spirit, honest and openhearted. He does have a tendency to put his foot in his mouth if he speaks before he actually realizes what he’s saying.


Uh-Oh. Looks like we are going to have a bossy and unruly child. The only good news is that Denise, Aaron, Sheri and Melissa will all be ushering in the next generation of jerks and bully's.

Batter up!

I am not sure what it is. Maybe I like atheletic girls. Maybe I just like girls that can play softball. In any case, I was hooked on watching the NCAA Softball world series. For the past two weeks I have watched a lot of women's softball.

Luckily, Texas, UCLA and Arizona have been onTV a lot. I think the Texas softball team has the most players that actually look like girls. I am not into the big, fat, manly looking girls. I had no idea that some of these girls were so tall. The Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is 6'2". In addition, Texas is great because both the catcher (Megan Willis) and pitcher are good looking. Obviously, the pitcher and catcher get the most TV time. UCLA has a good looking first baseman, Lisa Dodd.

That pretty much sumed up my weekend. Expo, more home repairs, Dim Sum with Aya's friends and NCAA softball.

Not broken....

New job, new co-workers. I figured a good way to meet some of the guys was to play pick up bball with them. Considering at the last dot com where they all sucked in sports I wasn't expecting much. On Friday, the CEO rented out the gym so we could play after work. Normally they play at lunch time. Surprisingly, half the guys where pretty good. I forgot how pick up ball is played...especially with white folks. They bump, they grab, they hold...basically just try to play physical except when you do it back to them it's a foul.

Sadly, early into the game I was hurt. Great. I guess things do happen in 3. Although I think this makes 4.

1. A week ago I got hit knee to knee. Just a bruise.
2. Three days later I get my legs cut and I land on my knee. Bone bruise.
3. I fall and a guy steps on my shooting hand. Swollen and bruised hand.
4. Ball get deflected straight into my right pointer finger. Bruised & swollen.

The good news is that my sister said it is not broken. The bad news is that I can't move it, grab anything or type. In addition, I got this weird bump on my forearm. I have had it for 2 weeks now and I thought it would go away. I told my sister and she has no idea what the heck it is. I guess she hasn't gotten to that class in school yet.

Guess I will be off from bball for a few weeks. =(

Morning Sickness

Let’s get one thing out of the way quickly, it must suck to have morning sickness. One it isn’t always in the morning. Two, it lasts for quite a while. Good thing Aya isn't feeling as queasy anymore.

Now, on to the real story...for those that will never get morning sickness. When it first happened it is the strangest thing. You would be talking to Aya in a normal conversation. Nothing is wrong and then *BLAM* gag. Gag again (kinda like listening to Brian on the basketball court). It’s like watching someone that laughs silently. The gag noise is made and then nothing. Just random out of the blue. It’s kinda nasty really...and just straight weird.

Someone said that eating saltine crackers BEFORE you get out of bed in the morning helps. Well, it might help Aya but it doesn’t help me. Have you ever heard someone eat crackers in bed??? First thing you hear at 4:30 am. , . It sounds like someone cutting lumber. Not only do I wake up because Aya’s pee frequency is that of a 1 year old, but now I get woken up by Aya the cracker eater. I haven’t slept more than 3 hours in the last 3 months!